Vitter hits Edwards with ad knocking his support for Syrian refugees

Days ahead of a run-off election for governor in Louisiana, Sen. David Vitter’s campaign has launched an attack ad blasting his Democratic opponent, state Rep. John Bel Edwards, for his support of the administration’s plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the U.S.

Following the terror attacks that struck Paris on Friday, more than two dozen Republican governors have voiced opposition to accepting Syrian refugees into their states. International investigators believe one of the assailants entered Europe by posing as a refugee.

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“Now Obama is sending Syrian refugees to Louisiana,” the narrator says in the ad. “David Vitter warned Obama (of) the dangers of Syrian refugees weeks ago and promised as governor no Syrian refugees will enter Louisiana. John Bel Edwards has pledged to work with Obama to bring Syrian refugees to Louisiana.”

The 30-second ad closes with a clip of Edwards saying, “I supported the president,” with the narrator concluding, “He always does.”

According to the Washington Post, the clip of Edwards saying he supported the president is from an October candidate forum and was in response to a question about who he backed in the 2012 election. Vitter’s warning letter was a September missive to Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson highlighting that hijackers from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were in the country legally.

Edwards, who reportedly tweaked his stance following the ad’s release, responded with a Facebook post accusing Vitter of “bombarding” voters with lies about his position. “Many of you have expressed concern about how to respond to this, the most recent example of his deceptiveness,” he wrote. “I have clearly and openly called for a complete stop to the entry of refugees to Louisiana. This is a shameful and desperate attempt by David to distort my position as well as my record as the only candidate with military experience.”

Edwards said he will stay in contact with law enforcement regarding the 14 refugees already in Louisiana but asked who voters trust more: “a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger or David Vitter, who continues to lie to us in order to divide us?” he added. “The choice is STILL clear, Louisiana.”

But it's unclear how much impact either would have on Syrian refugees as governor. Even if Vitter or Edwards were to block the organizations that help refugees from officially resettling in their state, there’s little they can do to stop refugees from moving to Louisiana after their initial arrival in the United States.